Baby, It's Cold Outside

[catherine]

We're experiencing a cold snap. It was -9 this morning, but we're up to 0 degrees. 70% of our heat comes from our wood stove. The rest is from electric, and we insulate as best we can by keeping our honeycomb blinds drawn and doors closed. DH is being absolutely crazy about keeping the home fires burning, and to be honest, it's wearing on him. He's not in the best mood.

I pulled up the honeycomb blinds in my office just enough to offer my shamrock plants (which were formerly my MIL's shamrock plants) some light. My herb garden is greige now. So when I put my green shamrocks up to the window, the greige dormant chives and mint outside seem to be beckoning but the shamrocks are having none of it.

I do have to get outside and hang out with the dormant plants at some point! I've been working 10 hrs a day, and I'm feeling that cabin fever a bit, but I'm sure it will dissipate when we get back up to a balmy 30 degrees tomorrow.

How about the rest of you up North in the thick of this cold snap?

[happystuff]

I believe we started at 10 degrees this morning and are now up to a balmy 19. Suffice to say, except for getting the mail and burying the beta fish, I'm doing indoor projects today.

[razz]

Started morning much lower at -2F but up to 11F degrees now with a forecast for tonight of 7 and tomorrow of 28F. The the snow storm will be interesting.
When walking the dog this morning, the wind was the biggest challenge but it was so refreshing. Made a split pea soup for supper to make sure I warm up taking the dog for his afternoon walk in a few minutes.

Wood fires are a lot of work. DH and I had the fireplace on main floor LR and a Napoleon airtight in basement with the electric furnace as backup. Also had a heat pump for the mild season and summer AC. Lot of work!

[happystuff]

Wow! You two are making me feel like I have nothing to complain about temperature-wise! Stay warm!

[Yppej]

Very cold where I am also. I didn't go to the grocery store but did swing by a library in an adjacent city that doesn't require masks. There was another unmasked woman there, homeless and on her phone trying to find a place to stay. I asked the librarian does the city have a social worker and she said, "No. Why?"

I told her and she said she will see if the police can help her.

Glad in the meantime she had a warm space to be where she could make calls and not worry about them being muffled because she must wear a mask or otherwise suffer wearing one for long periods of time. My own library doesn't care about the homeless.

She had just become homeless a few days before and was sleeping outside. The first social service agency she tried was closed. Right when I saw all the bags around her I figured she was homeless and the calls bore that out. She was also using the library's free wifi to search for emergency shelter. The library closes at 5 so I hope she found a place to stay.

[iris lilies]

We have nothing to complain about here in the lower Midwest. It’s currently 28°F.

[Rogar]

Just normal winter here after a balmy December. A few days of cold, a little snow, then a warm up and melt off. Repeat. From my visits to New England in winter, fleece and down are nice, but wool garments get bonus points in the humid cold that can go right through a person.

[JaneV2.0]

Like our eye-popping heat in June, we had a minus-degree week here a couple of weeks back. We're at business as usual here.

[Tybee]

It's five below right now--yesterday around 0 all day,. Supposed to get up in the 20's today but we'll see. We are supposed to drive to Portland, did not go yesterday because it was so cold.
I am over winter. Fuel oil has risen 43 percent since one year ago when we bought this house. Neither chimney works and insurance company says we can't use the woodstoves.
Did I mention I wish we had not bought this house?

[Yppej]

Tybee, how did it come about that the insurance company told you that? Is it standard contract language, did you ask them, was there an incident or what?

[Tybee]

When we applied for the insurance, they wanted to see the house inspection and learn about the woodstoves and chimneys, and that's when we learned that they were not up to their code.

[Teacher Terry]

We had one day last week where we set a new record at 64. It’s mostly been in the high 40’s and low 50’s with sun and no wind. Perfect walking weather. I love winter here:)).

[catherine]

When we applied for the insurance, they wanted to see the house inspection and learn about the woodstoves and chimneys, and that's when we learned that they were not up to their code.

You motivated me to go back and check my inspection report, and it didn't say anything about the woodstove in it, but it said the chimney had some creosote, but subsequent to that we had the chimney cleaned. DH puts some creosote-removing gunk in the stove regularly and this year we plan to to get a chimneysweep to check everything out.

It's up to 9 degrees, but we'll probably get snow tomorrow.

[razz]

Woodstoves and fireplaces in Canada had major changes regarding location in a room, distance from walls, design of stove pipes, etc. I think this was triggered by serious house fires after improper installation of units by home owners with limited common sense. We were told that the majority of owners didn't monitor the chimney temp, failed to clean their pipes each year of creosote and removing birds' nests. They were not burning properly cured hardwood firewood but poplar and conifer that they got for free.

Fireplaces now need a screen in front after a small child touched the glass door in front and got fingers burnt. This legal change was initiated right after stores had taken delivery of their fireplace inventory for the coming year and put my neighbour out of business. He couldn't sell a fireplace until appropriate screens were created and delivered. A TV with the image of a burning fireplace has replaced many real fireplaces, I think.

[Klunick]

Yesterday was in the low 40's with rain and snow. Today, it's currently 18* and I think only getting up to 24* for a high. We were supposed to get a major snowstorm tonight/tomorrow but it went bust unfortunately.

[Yppej]

My tire pressure light is on all the time. I have learned to ignore it. The car is filthy but I have heard don't go to a car wash if temps are below freezing, and they always are on weekends lately.

[nswef]

-2 in the night here in Piedmont Maryland- Catoctin Mountains At noon it is up to 29 in the sun.

[Yppej]

Called on the collision warning light that keeps coming on in the car and was told it is likely wintry buildup on the car but don't take it to the car wash until it's above freezing.

[happystuff]

I woke to 9 degrees this morning and we are up to 22. Can we say "heat wave"?? ROFLOL

[Klunick]

Currently 19* here at work (Northern VA). Daytime high is supposed to be around 38*. Snow storm in the forecast for Friday night/all day Saturday. May see 3-5 inches in Southern MD.